Adapto: towards a flexible management of the coastline - Hyères Salina

Hyères – France

Project leader: Conservatoire du Littoral

Dates : 2017-2022

Classification

Risks

Solutions

Actors

Costs

Summary

The Adapto project seeks to demonstrate by example the value of flexible management of the coastline as a solution for adapting coastal territories to climate change. This project is being financed by the European Programme Life, and carried out by the Conservatoire du Littoral and the Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières. 

In France, this project is being deployed across 10 pilot territories, including at the Vieux Salins d’Hyères. The Vieux Salins d’Hyères, operating until 1995, were acquired by the Conservatoire du Littoral in 2001. On this site, the erosion of the southern part of the dune ridge poses a threat to the hydraulic network. While partial rip rap on the area limits the erosion where it is implemented, it directly amplifies it downstream of the sedimentary transit and disrupts the hydro-sedimentary functioning of the entire bay. The overall project revolves around the restoration of natural dynamics in the beach-dune system that marks the interface between the sea and wetlands. In this respect, the removal of rip rap from the coastline was carried out in two stages in 2019 and 2020 with a renaturation approach. Adapto’s objective for this site is to draw on the knowledge and experience gained from the salina management over the past decade and to continue to reflect on the long-term evolution of the site, taking into account the impacts of climate change.

The actions were carried out as follows: (1) Restoration work of the dune ridge and limiting of the enrockment; – ecological monitoring of the site and the evolution of the Posidonia herbarium; (2) Morphological monitoring of the evolution of the dune ridge; (3) Knowledge sharing with other locations and capitalizing on the approach carried out; (4) Educational work with schools, civilians, elected officials and coastguards; (5) Implementation of an ecological quality indicator; (6) The analysis of the social perception of users and residents; (7) The development of decision support tools (economic and multi-criteria analyses) regarding potential long-term evolution scenarios.

Actions

The overall project entails the restoration of dune-beach system natural dynamics that composes the interface between the sea and the wetland. To this end, work has been undertaken to restore the dune system and remove the rocks. It is supported by ecological monitoring of the site and the Posidonia meadow, as well as morphological monitoring of the dune system evolution. 

As part of the Adapto project, the Conservatoire du Littoral is deploying a series of educational actions: 

  • Development and deployment of an educational programme for primary and secondary school classes 
  • Raising awareness and developing tools for the department’s rangers (facilitator’s kit)
  • Creation of an exhibition (kakemonos format) on the past evolution and future of the Vieux Salins

The project is also committed to organising events to report and communicate the results of the project to practitioners, elected representatives and the general public at local and regional levels. 

 

It also participates in national actions to capitalise on and put into perspective the other Adapto sites.

The Conservatoire du Littoral is carrying out on-site research actions such as historical and prospective analysis of the evolution of the landscapes; updated analysis of the social perception of the users; as well as developing decision-making tools (economic and multi-criteria analyses) around possible long-term evolution scenarios.

It is also working on the implementation of an ecological quality indicator. This research project, carried out in partnership with the National Museum of Natural History as part of the Adapto project, aims to develop an ecological quality indicator tailored for natural coastal environments. This indicator should allow the description of the impacts of reconnection projects on the ecological quality of natural coastal areas and the monitoring of their evolution. It is pivotal for the Conservatoire du Littoral and its managers that intend to improve the environmental quality of the coast. It also entails the provision of answers to the concerns expressed by various environmental stakeholders about the potential negative impacts of marine reconnection on species relying on these ‘soft’ environments.

Outcomes

The removal of rip-rap work is recent so the concrete results are not yet known from a technical point of view. However, the first observations are positive and sediment transit seems to have recovered to a certain balance.

The main current success lies in the fact that the initiative proposes a dialogue between the stakeholders on the solutions to be implemented and invites them to adopt a long-term vision of their territory.

More than half of the site is owned by the Conservatoire du littoral, which means that the Conservatoire du littoral and the manager can provide support over a long period of time. 

Dialogue  with local stakeholders is essential for the smooth running of the project.

Importance of popularising and widely disseminating the results of the monitoring carried out on the site to local stakeholders, in order to strengthen the social acceptance of management choices.

Partners

Technical partners: Conservatoire du Littoral, Metropolitan Area of Toulon-Provence-Méditerranée, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, National Park of Port-Cros, Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, CPIE Côte Provençale, State services, municipalities and inter-municipalities, economic actors, local stakeholders

Financial partners: European Union,  Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières, Fondation de France, Total Foundation

Resources